Catherine Beaumont
Catherine is a third-year History BA student. She completed a six-week placement with a local internet marketing company.
Where was your placement and what were your tasks?
"My six-week placement was at Optillion Internet Marketing where I worked as a copywriter. Each day I would be given a piece of copy to write for one of Optillion’s clients. This would range from product descriptions, adverts, and information boards for the local museum in Ruddington where the company is based. I was also on hand to help with the other members of staff’s writing when I was needed. This meant I always had a varied workday, and I have continued working part time during term as their copywriter."
How did you find out about your placement? What made you want to do one?
"This was an optional placement I found through the Nottingham Internship Scheme. I was looking for a summer internship to fill up my CV, get experience of a full-time job, and make the most of the career’s team at the University of Nottingham."
What was the most enjoyable part of your placement?
"The people at Optillion are really great to work with and helped me progress during my internship. I enjoyed learning a range of skills and applying skills learnt from my degree to real-world scenarios."
What transferable skills did you gain?
"Writing to a client’s specification, different writing approaches, Google Analytics, working in a collaborative office environment etc.
These skills will definitely benefit my future career in giving me more confidence in my abilities. I would now consider a career as a copywriter, which I had not thought of before."
Did you learn anything new or unexpected about yourself?
"I learnt that I enjoy writing more than I thought I did, and that I can work with people who are (for want of a better word) difficult to work with! I found that I am more adaptable than I knew, but I also feel more comfortable asking for help if I need/want it."
Have your future career aspirations changed because of your placement?
"Yes. I would definitely consider working in this area. I now know I do not want to work in SEO or Analytics as my colleagues were, which I was given some experience doing.
I would recommend Optillion for any humanities student, as it is a great placement and can work well with your studies if you wish to continue working during term time!"
Find out more about the Nottingham Internship Scheme